Hot Chocolate Recipe

On the weeekend at the cookie exchange party we were served hot chocolate.  I knew it wasn't a packet mix, so I asked "K" for the recipe:

Loco Cocoa1 cup premium unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 to 1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 cups light cream
4 cups whole milk (I used half whole milk and the rest 1% milk)
1/3 cup bittersweet chocolate pieces or 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 teaspoons vanilla

1. In a 3-4 quart slow cooker combine cocoa, sugar and salt. Stir in 1/2 cup hot water until the mixture forms a paste. Whisk in cream and milk.
2. Cover and cook on low heat setting for 5 to 6 hours or on high heat setting for 2 & 1/2 to 3 hours (do not boil). Whisk in bittersweet chocolate, stirring until chocolate is melted.
3. If necessary, skim 'skin' from the surface, discard. Serve immediately or keep warm, covered on warm setting for up to 2 hours.
4. To serve, stir in vanilla. Makes about 12 cups.

Today's Christmas Video:




Finally a dear girl we know should be having her baby today.  It was due on the 2nd of this month.  Fingers crossed all goes well, for a baby born on 12/12/12.  Oh, and it's not "R" she has another month to go!!

Couple more Christmas Cookie recipes

from the party on Sunday.  These ones are my favourite:

Christmas Cherry Chews

Bottom:
1 cup flour
1 cup oats
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup butter

Middle:
2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup coconut
1 cup well drained chopped maraschino cherries

Icing:
3 tbsp butter
2 cups icing sugar
2 tbsp maraschino cherry juice
1/4 tsp almond extract

Directions:

Mix together first five ingredients until crumbly.  Press ingredients into a greased 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan.  Bake for ten minutes

Beat together eggs, brown sugar and extract.  Mix in flour and baking powder, add coconut and cherries.  Pour over base and bake for around 25 minutes.   Let cool before adding icing.

To make icing, blend butter and icing sugar, adding juice and extract.  Spread over cooled cherry chews.  Then try not to eat them all at once!!!

There are many versions of shortbread, this is the recipe that was used at the party.

Shortbread

1 pound butter
1/2 cup icing sugar
3 1/2 to 4 cups  flour

Cream the butter and icing sugar together.  Stir in the flour.  When it gets to stiff to stir, continue mixing/kneading by hand.

Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into shapes.  Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.  Bake at 325 - 350 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes.  Decorate as desired.

I found this cookie not sweet enough for me, but had a very nice texture.

Today's Christmas video:



I posted another book review here, if you're interested.

Christmas Cookie Exchange Party (photo heavy)

Went to my first ever Christmas Cookie Exchange party at "K's" (dd best friend) house and we had the best time ever.  There were eight of us and it was a great mix of people.  "K" of course went above and beyond with her preparation of the party and she deserves a big pat on her back for all the hard work she put in and as dd says it's all in the details!!!

This is the food table with  "snacks" on it to nibble on, there was more added to it later on!!!  The banner was made using a Cricut.

In the above photo you can see something at the top on the wall and are wondering what it is?  Well "K" wrapped her picture up to look like a present, so it looked more Christmassy.  I rolled my eyes at that one!

Who thought that was a great idea?

This was the hot chocolate station.  It included chocolate dipped marshmallows, mini marshmallows, and chocolate dipped spoons, all to go in the mug of hot chocolate.  I forgot to ask how she made the hot chocolate, it was so good.

"K" even made little tags with our initials on it, to go on our mugs/glasses:

She had a beautiful bunch of flowers, and the cranberries in the water was a lovely touch I thought:

"K" made these cake pops which looked like reindeer and they were really yummy.  Underneath them you can see some of the iced sugar and gingerbread cookies she made as well, they were so good.

This is a photo of dd and "R" wrapping up everyone's cookies:

These are the boxes of cookies we were presented with:

This is what was in the boxes of cookies:

Attached to the top of the cookie tins was a recipe book with all the cookie recipes in it:

We also got a take home gift of a cookie cutter with this label on it:

and this gorgeous tea towel, which you can find at Crate and Barrel:

The cookies that were made were:

Shortbread Cookies

Reindeer Cookies

Almond Chai Cookies

Christmas Cherry Chews

Cheesecake Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Snickerdoodles

Cranberry Vanilla Chip Cookies

Big Soft Ginger Cookies (recipe on prior day's post)

100 Good Cookies (recipe on prior day's post)

If there is no direct link to the recipe, I will add that recipe in the next day or two.  Those Christmas Cherry Chews are to die for!!

So hand's up who wants an invite to next years cookie exchange?   Dd, "R" and I have offered to host it at our house next year.  Same folks just different venue!!!  I told dd and "R" that they can do the Martha Stewart stuff and I'll do the food!!!

If "K" is reading this post you deserve all the praise from all the comments as you put a lot of effort into this and it showed.

*** We each made 3 dozen cookies and we didn't bring any of the ones home that we actually made.***

I am going to a Christmas cookie exchange party today.  Must say I am really looking forward to it, as it's dd best friend who is hosting it, so it will be no regular cookie exchange party.  I will take my camera.  We have to bring around 3 dozen cookies and I chose to make Ginger cookies, the recipe is here.

Then being the over achiever that I am (!!!!) when I was reading the Toronto Star newspaper on Saturday I stumbled upon the following recipe for "100 Good Cookies," which look like this:

The recipe says you can make 100 small cookies, I made at least 60 medium sized cookies.  The recipe is a keeper in my book and it is super simple to make:

100 Good Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup salted butter, at room temperature

1 cup each: granulated sugar, light brown sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

1 large egg

1 cup each: Rice Krispies, quick oats, unsweetened desiccated coconut

3 to 3 1/2 cups all purpose/plain flour

1 tsp each: salt, baking soda, cream of tartar

In a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer, beat butter and two sugars until fluffy, around 2 minutes. Beat in the oil and egg. Beat in cereal, oats and coconut.

In medium mixing bowl sift 3 cups flour, salt, baking soda and cream of tartar. In 2 or 3 additions beat into cookies batter. If batter seems to moist beat in the remaining 1/2 cup flour.

Drop by teaspoonful in to parchment lined cookie sheets, about 1 inch apart.

Bake in preheated 350oF oven until slightly golden brown around 11 minutes.

Makes at least 100 small cookies.

I have posted another book review here, if you're interested also.

Today's Christmas Video is a classic:

Finally Connie asked me for a photo of my Wedgwood Christmas Ornaments I took this photo before I decorated the rest of the tree:

I have blown the photo up as much as I can.

Not much to say today....

Friday was a ho-hum day.  Got my hair cut, then dyed it myself.  Did some grocery shopping.  Read a bit, reading a good book called "Sister's of the Sari," by Brenda L. Baker.  Did go to Swiss Chalet for supper as we were running errands in town.  Watched Coronation Street, don't like that Kristy do you?  So all in all a pretty boring day on Friday.

Here's today Christmas Video:


Have a busy weekend ahead of me, hope you have a good one!

Home of the Week......

I managed to get the Christmas tree up the other day.  I am up to ten Wedgwood Ornaments now.

I made Baked Bean Lasagna on Thursday night and it was so good.  It's been a while since I have made it.  The recipe is here.

This week's "Home of the Week," is very, very nice and very, very expensive at $3.5 million.  The maintenance fees on this place, as it is a townhouse, is over $2,000 a month; who on earth can afford that?  Also I see "R's" kitchen stools again in picture six, and here was me thinking they were very shi-shi!!!  Every fancy house seems to have them; though not in orange like "R!"  Such a shame there is very little outdoor space also.  Love the staircase.

I LOVE this week's "Condo of the Week."  Love the finishes and the layout.  It doesn't feel like a condo, and I guess with it being on the first floor it doesn't look like a condo either.  It feels like a well loved home and one where you can make a mess in without being afraid too.  Don't love the $1.2 million price tag, but you have to admit it does have curb appeal.

Thought I'd share with you Wales own version of Elvis in this Christmas song video.  Love Shakin' Stevens:

A funny, car, Christmas and youtube video

I wonder how many people have actually done this?

Wednesday I was out in the roads by 8 am; wished I had stayed home though, as the roads were treacherous with black ice.  I had to go to the garage however, as my low tire pressure indicator light had come on.  Turns out I had a nail in one of my tires.  Cost to me ZERO!!!!  Turns out I have tire guard on my tires, which means I can get repairs done for free, and if they can't repair my tire they will replace it for free.  It comes with the purchase of the car and lasts for 60,000 km or three years.  In my case it will be three years, as I have a grand total of 9,000 km's on my car.  I had no idea about this prior to this visit, so Merry Christmas to me I think!!!

Started to wrap presents on Wednesday afternoon, so now the living room looks as though a bomb has dropped in there!!  I am having a good clean out of the wrapping paper bag, as it's like the bottomless pit in the bag.

I have had an "incident" regarding a Christmas card or lack of in Britain, and truth be told, this may be the last year I am sending anyone Christmas cards, as I am fed up of the whole thing.  My brother doesn't send cards, he donates to a charity instead, and I think I may go that route myself in future........... :0(  

This is a very beautiful rendition of "O Come All Ye Faithful,"